MAY Viewing Recap, Top 3 MSPIFF 2015 + Movie of the Month

Well May turns out to be quite a busy movie watching month! Surprising since I only went to one press screening all month (Tomorrowland). I am looking forward to quite a few screenings in June: Spy (this Tuesday!), Inside Out, Jurassic Worldand Terminator Genisys. I REALLY want to see Me and Earl and the Dying Girl but that’ll be three screenings back-to-back in a week so not sure I can fit that one in.

After seeing the stellar Mad Max: Fury Road, my hubby and I saw The Road Warrior (1981)this weekend and we loved it! I think I’ve seen it years ago when I was a wee kid but I could remember much of the plot so it felt like new to me. Clearly the Mad Max franchise is George Miller‘s magnum opus and even though it was made over 3 decades ago, it still has a certain timeless quality about it and the action set pieces are fantastic despite the limited budget compared to this latest one. I’d rank Road Warrior as high as Fury Road, though certainly the Furiosa story adds a great deal of emotional depth to the film. But hey, 25-year-old Mel Gibson was pretty damn hot in his prime 😉

Rewatches:

Not Another Happy Ending (2013)

Sabrina (1995)

Last Night (2010)

Death Comes to Pemberley (2013)

[Belated] Top 3 Picks from MSPIFF 2015

It’s a month late but I thought I’d still post my friend Josh’s and my top 3 picks from MSPIFF as some of the films are now available to rent on VOD.

Josh’s Top 3

3: The Secrets of WarA rushed ending notwithstanding, The Secrets of War is quite good. All three child actors are solid to excellent; the thematic and dramatic heft of the narrative carry the film; and the picture’s sense of period is terrific. That there are some deeply moving moments interspersed throughout helps, as well.

2: The Keeping RoomPowered by strong performances from Brit Marling, Sam Worthington, and Muna Otaru, The Keeping Room fuses multiple genres well. At times, director Daniel Barber and writer Julia Hart make this dark civil war film suspenseful; at other times frightening; and at other times emotionally rife. Of course, it also helps that Barber’s visual aesthetics are a feast for viewers’ eyes.

1: The ConnectionThe Connection overcomes a predictable plot by depicting complex characters. It also capitalizes on a perfect ending that captures proper thematic heft at the same time it fittingly ends the characters’ paths. Terrific performances from Jean Dujardin, Gilles Lelouche, and Celine Sallette make this a film worth seeing, as well.

Ruth’s Top 3

3: El CriticoI enjoyed this one immensely! Being a film blogger, I definitely identified with the protagonist, and I totally share his scorn for most Hollywood rom-coms. Definitely worth your time when this movie is available to rent.

2: Clouds of Sils MariaSeems tradition that I see a Juliette Binoche movie at MSPIFF and this is the best one yet! She came up with the premise of the film and director Olivier Assayas did a wonderful job penning the script and made the story come to life. Both miss Binoche and Kristen Stewart are tremendous here and the film work largely due to their performances.

1: GirlhoodI rewatched parts of this French drama now that it’s on Netflix and I absolutely adore this film. Thanks to this film I discovered the lovely Karidja Touré in her mesmerizing acting debut. No doubt one of the best and emotionally-compelling coming-of-age film I’ve seen in some time.

Movie of the Month

I’ve been wanting to see What We Do in the Shadows ever since I saw the hilarious trailer months ago. Well this New Zealand mockumentary had me in stitches, it’s as hysterical as I had hoped and then some. If you’re a fan of vampire/werewolf movies, or just great comedies in general, I can’t recommend this enough. It pokes fun of the classic horror genre, but in a way it’s an homage to it at the same time. I sure wish they’re making a sequel of this as I would watch it in a heartbeat!

…

So that’s my May recap. What’s YOUR fave movie(s) you saw this month?…

The Road Warrior is one of a few films that I watch every year, that climatic chase scene sets the standard for spectacle ending in action films. For example, James Cameron copied that chase scene in his two Terminator films.

Two favorite films from May were definitely Age of Ultron, already saw it twice and Fury Road. The only other new movie I saw was The Homesman starring Hilary Swank and Tommy Lee Jones. It’s a slow and very depressing western drama, I quite liked it though. I also re-watched a few movies this weekend to test my new Atmos home set up. I picked up JOHN WICK at Best Buy, loved the Atmos sound on the disc and the movie is still great.

I was gonna see Road Warrior before Fury Road but it doesn’t matter, I’m glad I saw it. It was fantastic, I could see why you love it Ted! Cool trivia about that chase scene.

Well I didn’t really care for Age of Ultron, can’t even remember much about it now, ahah. Oh I’ve been meaning to check out The Homesman, I like TLJ. I saw you tweeted about seeing John Wick w/ your new Dolby Atmos, I bet it was a great viewing!

I was fortunate enough to watch Mad Max: Fury Road in 3d and I was blown by it. Such a fantastic sci-fi/thriller that offers relentless action, awesome sequences, great effects and compelling performances. Even though it’s still early in the year, I think it’ll be hard to get Mad Max out of my top 5 for 2015.
With so much going on in my life as of late I didn’t really watch that many films in May, and the same goes for April and March. Good to see you’ve kept busy though! I need to re-watch the original Mad Max saga as I was also too little to remember any of it.

Glad you finally got to see What We Do in the Shadows, the premise felt fresh, and to me was an amusing and quotable comedy.
I prefer the story in The Road Warrior, but the stunts are more breathtaking in Fury Road 😉 I agree both movies are good.

Hi there Chris! Been wanting to see ‘What We Do in the Shadows’ for ages, finally it’s available to rent and it’s so worth the wait. I love the original premise and the execution was brilliant, it’s genuinely hilarious. Yeah I think both Mad Max movies are excellent, I’m super impressed by what George Miller has done w/ that franchise.

Hi Margaret! I absolutely love What We Do in the Shadows!! It managed to beat Fury Road as my movie of the month, which was my fave until I saw the hysterical mockumentary. The concept is so original but humor is a personal thing so it doesn’t always hit your funny bone but this one hits ALL of ’em. I was in pain from laughing so hard, it’s one of those I can watch over and over. Might have to get the dvd!

About me

Hello I'm Ruth! Film is in my blood. LOVE movies of all genres, from Jane Austen to James Bond. Official blogger for the Twin Cities Film Fest (TCFF). I've recently completed my first feature screenplay & produced my first short film HEARTS WANT. Visit facebook.com/heartswantfilm

Trivia on Blade Runner 2049

Denis Villeneuve noted that he's fully aware of the immense pressure he's under, and how hardcore fans of the original view the prospect of a new film: "I know that every single fan will walk into the theater with a baseball bat. I'm aware of that and I respect that, and it's okay with me because it's art. Art is risk, and I have to take risks. It's gonna be the biggest risk of my life but I'm okay with that. For me it's very exciting... It's just so inspiring, I'm so inspired. I've been dreaming to do sci-fi since I was 10 years old, and I said 'no' to a lot of sequels. I couldn't say 'no' to Blade Runner 2049 (2017). I love it too much, so I said, 'Alright, I will do it and give everything I have to make it great.'"

Initially, Denis Villeneuve was against the concept of a sequel to Blade Runner (1982), as he felt it could violate the original. But after reading the script, which he and Harrison Ford have described as "one of the best" they have ever read, he committed to the project, stating that Ford was already involved at that point: "To be very honest with you, Harrison was part of the project before I arrived. He was attached to it right from the start with Ridley [Scott]. I met him and he's honestly one of the nicest human beings I've met and is one of my favorite actors of all time, so for me it's a lot of pleasure."

Jared Leto was introduced to Denis Villeneuve by his close friend Jean-Marc Vallée, who had directed Leto in Dallas Buyers Club (2013).

Emily Blunt was considered for a role but she declined due to her pregnancy.

This sequel is set to be released on October 6, 2017, just ten years and one day after the Final Cut version of the first film premiered in Los Angeles.

The sequel which takes place 30 years after Blade Runner (1982) is the story of new Blade Runner Officer K (Ryan Gosling) as he searches Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) whom has disappeared. In Harrison Ford's earlier science fiction film Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) which took place 30 years after Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983), The film's main protagonists Rey (Daisy Ridley) and Finn (John Boyega) are searching for Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) whom disappeared. Harrison Ford played Han Solo in the Star Wars films.